How Does Charlie Keyes Use A Semicolon In Flowers For Algernon

Withering Petals In "Flowers for Algernon," Keyes captures Charlie's mental capacity fluctuating with the divisive use of a semicolon and period, symbolizing the separate and end phases in the protagonist's life. These internal divisive shifts overlay major external events in Charlie’s life, evidenced by his early joy, turning to careful contemplation and sadness in his post-semicolon life. Prior to Charlie’s monumental alteration, he exhibits elementary spelling mistakes, “means” (Keyes 287). He is ridiculed by colleagues while this behavior is shown, “Charlie put.brains in” which Charlie answers with “that made me laff,” (289). Charlie’s revival of an admirable intelligence is revealed through Keyes use of a semicolon on page 297. The semicolon is used to represent Charlie’s operation; it “surgically” separates two phases in his life: namely, his prior lack of intelligence to his peak level.

After this isolating region of the text, Charlie reflects and reminisces on his prior times, “more alone than ever” and even refers to himself as, “re retarded.I had been laughing,” (299). Charlie’s demeanor had transformed, the kind, charismatic, easy-going Charlie had vanished behind the cover of a semicolon, and turned into an arrogant, stuck-up, short-fused man. Charlie’s newfound intellect is ephemeral, and he notices a regression to his pre-operation intelligence, before both of these episodes are symbolically ended through the commanding use of a period. Charlie, “Couldn’t remember.no longer read.all gone”. His intelligence is fleeting, and he recognizes that his short-lived stroke of genius was of no benefit to his life. “Making fun of me.all used to,” is evidence of Charlie’s early unawareness of the ridiculing, but it was his absentmindedness that let him be joyful with what he thought he